


Nightmares

by SummerStormFlower



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Jay struggles, Nightmares, pretend that everyone remembers the erased timeline, takes place after the events of season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 14:51:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20116888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerStormFlower/pseuds/SummerStormFlower
Summary: The timeline in which Nadakhan was released from the Teapot of Tyrahn no longer exists, but the memory of it still does. And for Jay, the memory of being held prisoner on Misfortune's Keep haunts him in his sleep. He says that he's fine--he's fine, fine, fine, like a mantra inside his head and out loud. However, his friends know him too well.





	Nightmares

Sweeping, washing, scrubbing the deck until his arms ached, until he couldn't feel his hands, until his back was a stiff as a board. Nadakhan, and his evil, evil grin, calling him weak, worthless, trash over and over again. The piercing pain inside his chest at the words. Words he remembers hearing when he was little and the bigger kids picked on him because he was born in a junkyard. Nadakhan, holding him down, crushing him, dragging his hook across his chin, making him bleed. The sting of tears in his eyes. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, it'll hurt more if you cry. Beaten, scratched, thrown around, kicked when he's down in Scrap and Tap. Flintlocke's gun smashing into the side of his head, Doubloon's blades slicing through his skin, Monkey Wretch gagging him, Dogshank's fist colliding with his stomach, arm, side, face. The laughter, the laughter, the laughter. 

The laughter was the worst part. They laughed at his pain. Laughed. Like it was funny. Funny that Jay felt the torture searing through his body, the words ringing inside his mind.

Jay opened his eyes, panting, his heart pounding. Stop thinking about it! This was the opposite of thinking about it!

He slumped on the sofa, covering his hands over his ears, trying desperately to push away Nadakhan's voice that he could still hear so clearly.

Weak, weak, weak.

"Jay?"

Jay jumped, looking up. Sensei Wu was standing there, gazing at him with concern.

"Oh, hi," Jay said, feeling himself calming down a little. Nadakhan wasn't here. Nadakhan couldn't hurt him again.

"What are you doing up at this time of night?" the old sensei asked.

Jay fell silent. He was good at talking--in fact, he might've talked a little too much--but this was something he couldn't talk about. Every time he thought about telling his parents, or Wu, or his brothers, or even Nya, he clammed up. A lump rose in his throat, he felt like he was paralyzed, felt the memories rushing to the front of his mind. And then he could feel the hits all over again. He didn't want to talk about it. It hurt too much. It hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced. He couldn't talk about it.

Wu sighed when Jay continued to keep silent. He knew the things that had befell his student were horrendous, and he wished he'd been there to stop them, been there to protect his student like a teacher should. 

"Why don't you join me for a cup of tea?" he suggested.

Jay nodded quietly.

He accepted the cup from Wu with a grateful nod, closing his eyes as he took a sip. The warm liquid immediately soothed his headache and his incessant shivering. Wu didn't speak, and neither did he. But Wu's presence took his mind off of his nightmare, grounded him in reality, made him feel safe.

Wu's silence was just as valuable as his advice.  
\----------------------------

Jay took comfort in Nya's touch. Her fingers stroked through his hair, chasing every negative thought away. She pressed her cheek to his own, chasing the cold, cold shivers wracking his body away. She massaged the back of his trembling hand, assuring him that the nightmare is over, that she's there, and she's not going to let anything bad happen to him. 

They sat in her room in the middle of the night, and she told him stories to help him calm down. He felt bad every time he woke her up, but she was the only one who could protect him from the blows, and kicks, and taunts with just a single touch, and she always told him it was okay. She always told him she didn't mind, and Jay struggled to believe her, although he still went to her. He felt safe in her strong embrace with her gentle hands combing his hair. Sometimes she touched his chin, where he could still feel Nadakhan's sharp hook ripping his skin. Her touch helped him forget it. 

He hugged her, and cried, shaking like he was still locked up on Misfortune's Keep, laying on the floor, frozen and starving. 

Nya made all those memories go away, if only for a little bit, with just a single touch. Her kind voice, as she told him cute, funny stories that mothers would tell their children before bedtime, lulled him to a dreamless and peaceful sleep.

She was so strong. Unshakable. Unbeatable. Nothing could cut her down. He wished he could be more like her.  
\-----------------------------

If Kai could, he'd go and punch Nadakhan's lights out. He'd go and make the Djin pay tenfold for everything he put his brother through. Kai would make the Djin regret the day he was born.

But he couldn't.

All he could do was hold Jay on the bathroom floor at three in the morning. 

He had heard the thumping of feet in the hall outside his room, and had worriedly gone to investigate. He found Jay, sitting against the tub with his knees pulled up to his chest, gulping down short, pained breaths. Kai rushed to his side, but he had never seen anyone have a panic attack and hadn't known what to do. So he'd let Jay grab onto his arms, despairing at how badly Jay was shaking, let him lay his head on his chest, and listen to his heartbeat. Kai didn't even care about his 'tough guy' reputation. Jay needed him, so he wrapped his arms around him and held him to his heart.

After half an hour, Jay was asleep, snoring softly.

Kai was furious; furious that his brother had been hurt and he couldn't get revenge. He wasn't good at providing comfort. He was good at beating the crap out of their enemies.

When he looked at Jay's face, however, the anger flushed right out of him, replaced by sadness. Jay was sweet, and amazing (even if he didn't know it himself), and he was the last person in the world who deserved to subjected to whatever Nadakhan had done to him.

As useless as he felt, being unable to defeat Jay's nightmares like he would an enemy, Kai knew this was the only thing he could do for Jay.

So he'd do it as best as he could.

He held Jay tighter.

Maybe instead of a nightmare, Jay would have a dream about his heartbeat.  
\------------------------

Lloyd was the one who understood Jay's pain the most. All the others comforted him, and Jay was so, so grateful to them, but Lloyd understood him. Lloyd had had his share of hurt--pushed out of his own mind, his body stolen from him, his energy sucked right out of him. It was a different kind of torture, but the pain was the same. 

Jay didn't like going to his baby brother for comfort. It made him feel sad, and angry, and embarrassed. Lloyd shouldn't understand him. Lloyd shouldn't be so mature, or so strong. He was the baby. He should be innocent. He should be happy.

He shouldn't be scarred.

Jay wished he had the power to give Lloyd the carefree, joyous childhood he so badly wanted and deserved. He wished he could give Lloyd two complete parents, who didn't abandon him and who didn't let him down. He wished Lloyd was little, and clumsy, and silly again.

He missed picking Lloyd up and carrying him on his shoulders. If he had known Lloyd's childhood was going to be cut so short, he would've done it so much more

Even though Lloyd was the baby brother, and Jay didn't like going to his baby brother for comfort, he still found himself at Lloyd's door. He still found himself relaxing at Lloyd's arm around his shoulders. He still found himself sobbing into his baby brother's shirt, even though Lloyd shouldn't be taller than him, and certainly shouldn't be holding him. He still found himself clinging to Lloyd as tightly as possible.

And Lloyd held him back tightly, rubbing his back, telling him it's okay, that he gets it, and that he loves him.

Some big brother Jay is.  
\---------------------

It takes a long time, but eventually, the nightmares don't happen as often. They stop stealing all his sleep, but they don't stop terrifying him. He cherishes the nights he sleeps peacefully. 

Unfortunately, those nights aren't enough.

He woke up early one morning, having only gotten two hours of sleep at most, glimpses of hooks, and evil grins, mops, brooms, and dish rags keeping him up. The feeling of punches and kicks were fleeting, but there, and he could hear Clancee talking to him. Jay hadn't minded Clancee. The stuttering snake was the only one who hadn't hurt him or taunted him. In fact, he'd been nice to him. But then, Clancee's voice was drowned out by the laughter.

He trudged into the kitchen, finding Zane up and cooking breakfast. 

"Good morning, Jay," Zane said, smiling at him, "How are you feeling?"

Maybe it was because of Jay's lack of sleep and the effect it had on his emotions, or maybe it was because of how much Jay had missed Zane when he was on Misfortune's Keep, that he started crying.

Zane frowned at him, and Jay wondered if he could feel his pain, because it looked like the more tears fell down Jay's face, the more hurt Zane's eyes portrayed.

"Not well, I see," Zane answered his own question, stepping toward Jay and pulling him into his arms.

"I-I am so-so tired--I-I just want to sleep--I don't want to--" Jay sobbed, clutching Zane like a lifeline, like he was the only thing keeping him alive.

"I know. And I am sorry. I wish I could help you more," Zane whispered soothingly. "I will get better. I promise you. These things take time."

"A-a long time."

Zane nodded. "Yes. A long time."  
\---------------------------

Cole hadn't meant to. He hadn't even known Jay was changing. He had barged into Jay's room a thousand times, and had somehow never caught him doing anything embarrassing.

He hadn't meant to see them.

But he had.

The moment he saw the scars on Jay's back, he wanted to unsee them. Wanted to get the image out of his head, wanted to make it disappear, make it stop existing like they'd made the timeline stop existing. Because Jay didn't used to have those scars. How they remained, Cole didn't know, but he wished that when the timeline had vanished, it'd taken Jay's scars with it. Because those scars didn't belong on Jay's body.

Cole didn't know how it happened, but he ended up with an armful of blue. He rubbed Jay's back as he cried--for the hundredth, agonizing time. He listened as Jay told him about what they did to him, even as every horrifying word struck his heart.

Jay hadn't talked--had barely said a word--to anyone for months now. Wu had told them to be patient; to let Jay weep, get angry, and cope in his own way. Jay would tell them about it when he was ready.

It looked like that time had finally came.

Maybe now, now that Cole knew and could shoulder some of the pain for him, Jay could have a good night's sleep. Maybe Jay could have a good dream for once.

**Author's Note:**

> As fun as it was to write this, I am now out of energy and my legs hurt. It's the stupid hard chair I'm using. Anyways, feel free to let me know what you think. I love hearing readers' thoughts.


End file.
